Steaming and ore-scouring apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. O. SIMONTON.

STEAMING AND ORE SOOURING APPARATUS. No. 323,456. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2- (No Medal.)

T. 0. SIM'ONTON.

STEAMING AND ORE SGOURING APPARATUS. No. 323,456.

Patented. Aug. 4; 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT tribe.

THOMAS C. SIMONTON, OF PATTERSON, NEXV JERSEY.

STEAMING AND ORE-SCOURING APPARATUS.

FJPECITEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,456, dated August 4, 1885.

Application filed April 25. 1885. (No model.)-

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. SIMONTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steaming and Ore Scouring Apparatus, for desulphurizing, cleaning, and preparing for more effective amalgamation the gold and silver in refractory ores, after the ore has been pulverized, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to desulphurize, clean, and prepare the gold and silver in refractory ores for amalgamation by the use of steam for the purpose of heating, and also for the purpose of scouring and cleaning, at one and the same time, with or without aid of such chemicals as may be found necessary from the nature of the ore treated. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of same on line a w of Fig. 1.

Like letters refer to like parts in both the views.

A designates the receiving and stirring tank, and may be of any desired size and made of iron or other suitable material, and circular in form, and provided with a cover, N, and stop-cock B, through which the material to be treated is fedinto the tank A, and is also provided with safety-valve F, placed upon the top of cover N to prevent an overpressure of steam in tank A. In tank A are stirringarms H H, in which are placed the stirring-bars G G. These arms and bars are caused to revolve by means of the pulleys h h, and gearing it and shafts c c. The bottom of tank A is also provided with two portsor passages, D 1), opening into the chambers dd through openings K K in the plugs K K, in each of which said chambers (Z- d is placed a steam-nozzle, L, on the end of steam-pipe f. The plugs K K and nozzles L L project into the chamber B, and one plug K, and nozzle L are opposite to the other plug and nozzle, so that a current passing through one plug and nozzle would come in contact with an opposing current issuing from the opposite plug U and nozzle.

More than two currents can be had by the use of an additional plug, K, steam-pipe f, and nozzle L, for each. additional current.

Chamber 13 forms the bottom of tank A, and has a neck-shaped bottom connecting with pipe 0, leading to the steam-jet pump I J.

The mode of operation is as follows: A sufficicnt amount of pulverized ore to make a charge is fed into tank A through the stopcock E, with enough water to form the same into apnlp, together with such chemicals as may be necessary from the nature of the re fract-ory ore to be treated, or the chemicals may be dispensed with. The stop-cock E is then closed and the stirring-arms H H and rods G G are caused to revolve and reduce the materal to a pulp, after which the plugs K K are turned by means of the lever-arms k h, Fig. 2, opening the passages K K and allowing the material to pass into chambers d (2. Steam is then admitted from a boiler (not shown) into and through steam-pipes ff into the steam-nozzles L L and passes into chambers (Z d, where it joins with the pulp and carries it out through openings (1 d in two opposing streams or currents into chamber B. The material treated then falls to the bottom of chamber B and passes and is conveyed by the steam-pressure in said chamber through pipe G into the steam-jet pump I J, by which it is forced upward through pipe 5/ into receiving-tank A.

During the treatment of each charge of material as aforesaid the same is subjected to the heat of the steam confined in tank A and chamber B, under such pressure as is deemed advisable, regulated by the safety-valve F. This action is repeated until the gold and silver contained in the pulverized ore are thoroughly desulphnrized, cleansed, and scoured for effective amalgamation, when the whole charge so treated is drawn off through stop-cock S, Fig. 2, when a new charge of pulverized ore may be made, and the same operation is again repeated.

The heat of the steam and the continual contact of the pulverized ore against itself 2. Chamber I), provided with plugs K K, steam-nozzles L L, steam-pipes f f, and leverarms 7c Ir, in combination With steam-jet pump 15 I J, pipe 0, pipe g, tank A, stirring-arms H H and rods G G, and stop-cock E and safetyvalve F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

THOMAS C. SIMONTON.

Witnesses:

J. F. MoKEoN, WM. M. DAFFORD. 

